Els de Wind, partner Labour and Employment Law, participated last Tuesday in a great panel on The role of the private sector  in helping to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with Lise Kingo, Executive Director UN Global Compact, Saskia Verbunt, Senior Consultant Philips Innovation Services, Alexandra van Selm, Program Director Dutch Social Economic Council, Linda Kromjong, Secretary General IOE, Therese Fogelberg, Deputy Chief Executive GRI and Elaine McKay, Social Programs Director JT International.

On 1 January 2016, the 17 SDGs of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – adopted by world leaders in September 2015 at an historic UN Summit – officially came into force. Over the next 15 years, with these new goals that universally apply to all, countries will mobilize efforts to end all forms of poverty, fight inequalities and tackle climate change, while ensuring that no one is left behind. While the SDGs are not legally binding, governments are expected to take ownership and establish national frameworks for the achievement of these goals.  Countries have the primary responsibility for follow-up and review of the progress made in implementing the goals, which will require quality, accessible and timely data collection.